Thursday, July 7 2005 14:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan Government appears to have developed second thoughts over renewing deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's passport following opposition from some top leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q).

After initial positive indications to grant Sharif and his wife their passports to travel out of their exile in Jeddah, the Government has delayed the decision on the matter and Pakistan officials said it would be taken by the weekend.

Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said a few days ago that Sharif was entitled to get a Pakistani passport.

However, the government has delayed a decision on the issue of passports because of opposition from some of the main leaders of the PML-Q, which largely comprised defectors from the former premier's PML-N.

Some leaders of the PML and other parties in the ruling coalition were perturbed over reports that the government was planning to renew Sharif's passport after holding 'negotiations' with him, the 'Dawn' newspaper said.

A few ministers and parliamentarians had approached PML-Q Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to seek party position on the issue. They were of view that reports of 'The regime's contacts with Nawaz Sharif at this time affect the performance in the forthcoming local government elections.'

PML-N Information secretary Siddiqul Farooque, meanwhile, claimed senior PML-Q leaders had asked President Pervez Musharraf not to issue passport to Sharif as it could create problems for the ruling coalition.